Chapter 1. Situating Gender Mainstreaming Within a Global Framework -- Chapter 2. Breaking the Glass Ceiling : Assessing Gender Mainstreaming in Cape Town's Municipal Governance -- Chapter 3. Unfinished Business : The Struggle For Gender Equality in Mangaung's Municipal Power Structures -- Chapter 4. Analysis and Book Findings -- Chapter 5. Conclusion.

This book investigates the implementation of gender mainstreaming legislation and policies in South Africa, focusing on their impact on women’s empowerment in terms of representation, participation, and influence in municipal government. The objective is to understand why women remain underrepresented in leadership roles and decision-making at the district level of municipal governance. Emphasizing how municipal councils incorporate gender mainstreaming into their decision-making processes and the resulting impact, the author focuses on understanding the developments that advance municipal governments toward equitable governance and how decision-making has evolved. This book will be of interest to students and researchers in gender studies, African studies, postcolonial feminist theory, and politics, as well as policy-makers and government representatives. Juliet Joseph is a postdoctoral researcher at the department of Political Science at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.